SkyREPORT 12/17/02According to reports, WildBlue, the strugglingKa-Band satellite company, may receive almost $200 million from a group headed by John Malone's Liberty Media.

In addition to Liberty, the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative is rumored to be part of the group, the Rocky Mountain News reported last week. An announcement on WildBlue is expected this week, the newspapersaid.

Officials from NRTC, which has been aggressivelypushing for a satellite broadband solution to serve its rural customers, wouldn'tcomment on the report.

Any new funding for WildBlue, which wants todeliver broadband via satellite services, would be a big step for the struggling company. The Rocky Mountain News said the money would provide enough financing to launch WildBlue's first satellite, which could take place in 2004.

Previously, Liberty invested $61 million foran 16 percent share of WildBlue. Libertyalso has a stake in Astrolink, another Ka-Band licensee.